May Your Days Be Merry and Bright
by theletterdee
Summary: my gift to thetucc for the Blake Secret Santa 2018! Five different Christmas traditions, five different years
1. The Christmas Song - 1960 - Alice

**_Christmas 1960 - Alice Harvey_**

* * *

 _And so I'm offering this simple phrase / To kids from one to ninety-two / Although it's been said many times, many ways / Merry Christmas to you_

* * *

Alice shifted her weight from foot to foot as she stared at the door of 7 Mycroft Avenue. Shaking hands smoothed down the front of her dress - a light pink number she rarely brought out of her closet, but it _was_ a special occasion.

* * *

"What are you doing for the holidays, Alice?" Lucien asked one day in the morgue.

She shrugged and adjusted the microscope into focus, "Probably nothing."

" _Nothing!_ Well that won't do, Dr. Harvey. Right, you're coming over for Christmas Eve dinner."

"Christmas Eve _what_?" she looked up from the microscope just in time to see Lucien gape at her like a fish gasping for breath.

(If she wasn't so annoyed at his questions, she probably would have found it funny)

"Christmas Eve dinner… you know, big family gathering, exchanging a present each before tucking into a good home cooked meal? Didn't your family ever do this?"

Christmas with her family had been cold, or full of fear of what her father would do when his mood changed. Christmases at her foster homes hadn't been much better. Christmas had never been like Lucien's description.

She shook her head, "...No."

She looked back down the microscope as her ears burned at Lucien's pitying look.

"I see… You don't have to come if you don't want to, Alice." He turned back to the paperwork in front of him - his way of telling her he'd wait.

She watched him carefully and bit her lip. Christmas had never been a good time of the year for her, especially when it came to family. It had never _been_ good, but maybe it _could_ be. Lucien accepted her, and so had Jean in her own way. The dinners she'd spent in their house were always welcoming and warm, this Christmas Eve dinner would surely be the same.

There was no way to know… unless she went.

"Do I have to bring anything?"

The grin on Lucien's face told her she'd made the right decision.

* * *

Alice stood in the archway to the parlor, idly sipping on her glass of wine as she watched some of the guests (mainly Rose and Charlie, with some interjections from Bill) tease and debate each other; Lucien held court over all of them, making sure no one was without a drink while Jean busily put the last minute touches on their dinner. Alice was content to watch and observe rather than join in, but she felt warm and welcomed - something Christmas hadn't been for her in quite some time.

"Not up to debating the finer points of Australian Politics, Dr. Harvey?"

Chief Superintendent Lawson's voice drew her from her thoughts and she looked up to see him standing next to her.

He watched her - a glimmer of _something_ in his eyes - and it took her a bit to realize he was teasing her and waiting patiently for a response.

"No," she grinned. "At least not with Rose… though it's fun to watch her and Sergeant Hobart argue."

His face lit up with a grin and he let out a chuckle.

(Alice tried to ignore the flutter in her stomach at the sight - _she_ had made him laugh.)

"How has your day been, Superintendent?"

He opened his mouth to respond, but Lucien descended upon them both with a wide grin.

"Well, look who's under the mistletoe!"

" _Blake_ ," Lawson bit out as Alice looked above them at the small cluster of greenery hanging in the archway - undoubtedly hung there by Lucien himself to have an excuse to kiss his fiance frequently.

"It's _tradition_ , Matthew."

Lawson just glared at his friend - who grinned in return. Alice fought to hide the blush rising on her cheeks as she looked down at her feet.

"Lucien! Stop tormenting the guests and give me a hand in here!" Jean's voice rang out from the kitchen behind them and Lucien dutifully followed.

She heard Lawson shuffle beside her - the mood between them shifted from comfortable to awkward in the short time since Lucien left them. Alice kept her eyes on her shoes, trying to ignore the spinning thoughts in her head.

 _Not good enough - Didn't even hesitate to protest at the_ _ **idea**_ _of kissing me - I'm not really wanted here - No one would miss-_

Lips, warm and just a little bit chapped, pressed against her cheek and startled her. Alice looked up - eyes wide, cheeks burning - to see a similar expression on Lawson's face. He was so close, well inside her usual bubble of personal space when it came to him and others, but Alice didn't mind it. In their few meetings outside of work, Alice never felt like he pushed in like others. In fact, it felt… _nice_ to have him so near.

"It _is_ tradition, Lucien had that right," he finally spoke. "Even if he was being obnoxious about it."

"He was," she nodded. "But… thank you for upholding the tradition, Superintendent."

"Matthew, please, Dr. Harvey." He rubbed at the back of his neck with a sheepish smile and blushing cheeks.

Alice bit down on her lower lip as she smiled. Leaning up, she pressed a kiss to his cheek, a warm feeling blossoming in her chest at his surprised smile.

"Merry Christmas, Matthew. And… it's Alice."

"Merry Christmas… Alice."

As the two of them parted and joined the rest of the group in the parlor, Alice couldn't help but catch his eye as they sat on opposite ends of the couch. The look in his eye was soft and fond every time she saw him watching as gifts were exchanged, toasts were made, and dinner given. It warmed her, in a way she hadn't felt in a very long time, and as the rest of the group cheerily bantered and conversed, Alice found herself looking forward to Christmases in the future for the first time in decades.

She'd found a family that fit the broken edges of her past and person; it had taken some time, but she'd found a place she was accepted, people who cared about her, and the promise of _something_ in the shadow of Matthew's piercing gaze.


	2. A Holly Jolly Christmas - 1961 - Matthew

**_Christmas 1961 - Matthew Lawson_**

* * *

 _Have a holly, jolly Christmas / It's the best time of the year / I don't know if there'll be snow / But have a cup of cheer_

* * *

Matthew entered the Blake house and was immediately accosted by the scent of cinnamon, vanilla, and gingerbread wafting towards him from the kitchen - where joyful conversation between Jean and someone else echoed down the hall. His mouth watered at the thought of Jean Beazley's ( _Blake_ , he corrected himself for the umpteenth time) Christmas biscuits, so he lumbered on down the hallway and peered through the window.

Jean pulled out another tray from the oven, covered in perfectly baked gingerbread biscuits in various shapes and sizes, and placed it on the stovetop to cool. Doctor Alice Harvey sat at the kitchen table, a tube of frosting poised in her hands as she bent over the biscuit in front of her. He smiled at the crease of concentration between her brows - one that usually only came out when she conducted a tricky autopsy in the morgue.

Stepping into the kitchen, he walked over to the table and saw countless biscuits already decorated by Alice. Even if he hadn't seen her personally frosting them, Matthew would have guessed she was behind the decorating - the lines and designs even more precise than Jean's own steady hand.

"Smells good, Jean."

"Oh! Matthew, thank you," Jean beamed at the praise and then swatted his hand away from the finished pile next to Alice. "Not before dinner!"

"But, Jean-!"

"Don't you 'but, Jean' me, Matthew. I know for a fact your mother raised you better."

He saw Alice laughing out of the corner of his eye - the utter joy on the good doctor's face was worth getting whacked on the hand with a wooden spoon by Jean.

"Those look amazing, Alice," Matthew peered over Alice's shoulder. She flashed him a disbelieving look and he just shook his head with a smile. "I'm serious, those biscuits look almost too good to eat."

"Thank you; you're too kind, Matthew."

"Am I?" He squinted down at the biscuit she currently worked on and nodded, "You're right, you missed a spot."

He laughed when she swatted at him.

"Since you're so judgmental of our creative culinary endeavors, Matthew, you can help Alice make the next batch of biscuits." Jean wiped her hands on her apron. "It'll also give you something to eat that _isn't_ for Christmas Eve dinner."

Matthew put up his hand in surrender and started limping from the kitchen, "Alright, alright, let me go change out of my uniform."

He quickly changed from his police uniform into something more comfortable than the stiff wool garment. Pulling on his favorite grey trousers and cobalt blue sweater over a simple button up shirt, Matthew let out a contented sigh (he loved his job, but there was nothing like relaxing after the day was done). He rolled up his sleeves and walked back into the kitchen to see Jean lifting one of her spare aprons over Alice's head and tying it tightly around her waist.

"Ah! Matthew, just in time," Jean smiled as Alice fingered the bow at the small of her back. "Here, you'll need this," Jean foisted an apron off on him - floral, of course.

(Matthew caught Alice's eye and lightly rolled his when Jean's back was turned; Alice bit her lip to hide a laugh - but not the grin - as Jean helped him with the apron)

"You remember how to make them?"

"Yes, Jean, I remember how to make biscuits, not like I've been making them since I was a child," He told her with a deadpan expression.

Jean swatted at his side with a fond smile, "Off you go, then, I'll be doing a bit of cleaning so please… try not to make too much of a mess."

With a mock salute, Matthew went over to the counter - snagging a biscuit along the way and stuffing it in his mouth as Jean caught him.

" _Matthew Henry Lawson!_ "

Alice laughed, clutching at her stomach as she leaned against the counter and Matthew munched on the biscuit - avoiding the positively lethal glare from Jean.

"I thought you had cleaning to do, Jean."

She just narrowed her eyes at him and turned to Alice, "No more biscuits for him until this batch is done, Alice."

"Yes, ma'am," Alice nodded, turning back to the counter as Jean left. As soon as she was gone, Alice picked up a biscuit from the pile and held a finger to her lips when Matthew grinned.

"I've been wanting one ever since we started," she whispered. "And she said no more for _you_ , she didn't say _I_ couldn't have any."

"Your secret is safe with me, unless she's counted them, then we're both done for."

She laughed around her full mouth as he readied the ingredients to make more.

"Know how to make these?"

Alice shook her head, "No, I've burnt them in the past and they never turned out right anyways."

"Ah, it's not too hard, let's see how you do with a little teamwork."

He walked her through the simple recipe - one he'd made with his Nan, mum, and later with Vera when Rose was very young. (He caught her blush every time their hands brushed or they bumped shoulders while mixing and he felt his own cheeks warm.) In no time, the dough was mixed and Matthew worked on rolling half of it flat while Alice took the other half and made small, nearly perfect spheres and put them on a waiting tray - both of them were thoroughly dusted with flour within minutes.

Alice swiped at her forehead with the back of her hand, leaving a streak of flour across her skin. He tried not to laugh, but honestly she looked adorable.

"Something amusing, Superintendent?"

"You've, uh… you've got a little… actually, you're just covered in flour, Doctor," Matthew grinned.

She huffed a sigh and looked down at her flour covered hands, "I'm a mess."

" _We're_ a mess," He agreed and added more flour to the rolling pin. Out of the corner of his eye, he caught Alice watching him intently - her eyes focusing on his hands and arms whenever he made another pass with the rolling pin. When Matthew glanced at her, her eyes flickered up to his and she bit her lower lip with a smile - a pretty blush spreading across her cheeks the longer he looked at her.

" _There_ you two are!" Lucien's voice startled both of them out of their companionable silence (it was only then that Matthew noticed soft Christmas music playing on the record player in the background - Lucien's doing, no doubt).

"Lucien!" Alice turned around with a smile.

Matthew muttered something about getting him a "damn bell" and grinned when Alice half-heartedly swatted at his shoulder.

"I was making plenty of noise, Matthew, you just weren't listening. This looks cozy, though."

"Matthew's helping me make biscuits," Alice offered with a proud smile.

"Looks like fun!"

Matthew chanced a look over his shoulder and saw the mischievous sparkle in Lucien's eyes as he hid something behind his back; Lucien was up to no good.

"What are you plotting, Blake?"

Lucien raised his eyebrows in a "who me?" expression.

"Yes, you, the only Lucien Radcliffe Blake in all of Ballarat, what are you doing?"

"Nothing."

He narrowed his eyes at his oldest friend, not believing that innocent look for a second. Lucien's smile widened to a grin as he pulled the hidden object out and held it above their heads.

Mistletoe.

"Jean asked me to hang it, but I thought you two might enjoy it first."

Matthew glared at him (though he wasn't sure if his cheeks flushed with anger or the thought of being under the mistletoe with Alice again).

"Lu-!"

A hand on his cheek interrupted him - cool to the touch and soft - as Alice leaned up on her toes to press a kiss to the other cheek. He blinked and looked down at her as she smiled. Patting his cheek once more, Alice's hand dropped as she turned to Lucien.

"Satisfied, Dr. Blake?"

"Indeed I am, Dr. Harvey," Lucien grinned.

(He'd never hear the end of it now)

" _Lucien, could you finish hanging up the mistletoe and then meet me by the drink cart? You need to pick the brandy for the fruitcake!"_ Jean's voice echoed through the house and Lucien left them to do his wife's bidding.

Alice cleared her throat and busied herself with the dough in front of her. "Could you hand me that cutter, Matthew?"

"Of course, Alice," he handed the star-shaped cutter over, but didn't let go when she grabbed it. She looked up, confused, until he leaned down and pressed a kiss to her cheek.

Her skin warmed rapidly beneath his lips and she avoided his gaze as he let go of the cutter. Licking his lips, Matthew imagined he could taste something delectably _Alice_ under the flour and he liked it. Her shoulder bumped his and he bumped hers back with a grin. She smiled at him and he swore his heart skipped a beat.

The something that started with last year's festivities simmered between them and Matthew looked forward to exploring it with Alice. It was worth it - _she_ was worth it.

Even if he got teased later by Jean for the flour handprint on one cheek and Alice's lipstick on the other.


	3. Merry Christmas Darling - 1962 - Lucien

**_Christmas 1962 - Lucien Blake_**

* * *

 _Holidays are joyful / There's always something new / But ev'ryday's a holiday / When I'm near to you_

* * *

Lucien leaned into the dining room where his wife briskly folded laundry. "Sing with me, Jeannie, it's Christmas."

"Lucien, if I sit and sing with you, nothing will get done on time before I have to start on Christmas Eve dinner," Jean shook her head with a fond smile as she sidestepped her husband.

Lucien caught her by the waist - laundry and all - and pulled her to him, "Even if I make it worth your while?"

"Oh no," Matthew spoke up from the living room. He stood and folded his paper. "If you two are going to start that again, I'm going out."

"Bye, Matthew!" Lucien called over his shoulder.

"Lucien! Behave!" Jean laughed, even as Matthew continued towards the front door. "Matthew, come back, please."

"No, no, I've decided. You two should have some time anyways, what with Jean recently elected and all! I'll be back in time for dinner, don't worry."

Lucien heard the front door open and close as he leaned in to nuzzle Jean's neck. She squirmed in his arms and put the laundry basket down.

Turning to face him, Jean slid her arms around his neck. He kissed her - something he never grew tired of even after almost two years of marriage.

"Lucien."

"Mm?"

"I have things to do," she giggled as he kissed her again. "The house is going to be full of friends and family soon and I have to get it ready."

"Exactly, the house is going to be full of people, we've got to take time for ourselves while we can." He kissed her again, his tongue licking the seam of her lips, smiling against her lips when he felt her fingers dig into his shoulders.

"I thought you wanted sing carols."

"We're going to," he nuzzled her jaw and neck. "But I'm also giving Matthew some time with Alice."

She slapped his shoulder, " _Lucien_ , let them figure it out on their own, like we did."

"I am! I'm just… helping it along."

Jean drew back and gave him a look that said she didn't believe him for a second.

Lucien laughed, "I, uh, I might have also snuck some mistletoe in his jacket."

"Lucien. Blake." she punctuated his name with kisses and laughter. "You are adorable, and a menace to those you love."

"A menace, am I?" He teased and nipped at the sensitive skin below his wife's ear.

She gasped, her body arching into his, as she grabbed his hands, pulling him towards the studio door.

"I thought you had things to do, Mrs. Blake."

"I'm looking at my to do list right now, Dr. Blake," she grinned as he locked the door behind them. "But we're on a tight schedule, so step to it."

He pushed her up against the door, and his hand trailed up the inside of her thigh, chasing the soft skin above her stockings, "Sing for me, Jean."

* * *

He caught Jean still adjusting her hair as she frantically finished cooking Christmas Eve dinner. A grin spread across his face as he watched her: his wife, his light, and newly elected Councilwoman of Ballarat.

He was a lucky man.

"Lucien, stop ogling your wife," Matthew groused as he passed in front of him on the way to the parlor - Alice not far behind.

"I can't help it, she's a marvel," Lucien laughed, the grin staying on his face as Jean flashed him a crooked smile over her shoulder. Alice joined Jean at the stove and was soon roped into last minute preparations under his wife's watchful eye.

"Could you at least wait until after we've eaten?"

"Oh, leave him be, Matthew!" Alice laughed from the kitchen. "He won't stop, whatever you tell him."

Matthew harrumphed from his seat on the couch, but Lucien saw the fond look he threw towards Alice's back. It disappeared when he realized Lucien was watching him, and the superintendent buried himself in a nearby book.

"Anything I can do to help, Jean?"

"Yes," Jean smiled over her shoulder. "Could you make sure the table is set for all that are coming? Remember to pull out the high chair for Amelia! After that, maybe provide us with some Christmas music since you wanted carols so badly earlier."

"Done, and done!"

He bustled into the dining room to make sure everything was ready for the delicious meal of Jean Blake (catching Alice's slightly worried, "Carols? I'm not so good at those." on the way, and his wife's gentle reply of "Stick with me and I'll help you sing them, Alice. You've such a lovely voice that I rarely get to hear.") He smiled at his wife's kind heart, at how she embraced all who entered her home and coaxed them to blossom like her flowers in the sunroom and garden.

After making sure the correct amount of plates, cutlery, and chairs were assembled around the dining room table, Lucien plopped down in front of the piano. His fingers were a little rusty on some of the carols, but soon the house filled with music. Jean's honeyed soprano joined his tenor - reminding him of the Bobby Lee case years ago - and Lucien could make out Alice's light alto harmonizing with Jean, Matthew rounding them out with a rich baritone.

When he started on _Silent Night_ , Alice wandered in from the kitchen. "Oh, I like this one. I'd hear the local choir rehearsing it at night where I grew up. They always made it sound so… ethereal."

Lucien smiled over his shoulder at Alice leaning against the doorway, "Come and sing it then, Alice… if it's your favorite."

"I didn't say favorite," she teased, but she walked to the back of the couch anyways. As he continued playing, he could hear her singing behind him - Jean joining in as she walked into the living room, wiping her hands on her apron. Glancing back, Lucien grinned at the way Matthew was transfixed on Alice while she and Jean sang.

Once they got their act together, Lucien looked forward to his friends being as happy as him and Jean.

He was a lucky man, and he hoped Matthew would be soon.


	4. I'll Be Home for Christmas - 1963 - Jean

_**Christmas 1963 - Jean Beazley Blake**_

* * *

 _Christmas Eve will find me / Where the love light gleams / I'll be home for Christmas / If only in my dreams_

* * *

Jean watched from the shadowed hallway as Alice directed Constable Crowe where to put the tree in the parlor. Two weeks to go until Christmas usually had the house full of light and cheer, but Jean hadn't felt up to it until Matthew approached her the other day.

" _I know you're not exactly in the mood, but…" he leaned against the doorway to the study where Jean worked on council paperwork._

" _But what, Matthew?" she put her papers to the side and gave him her full attention. Her friend shifted in the doorway. "Oh, spit it out, please."_

" _It's two weeks until Christmas… and I was wondering if we could get a tree. It's just… Alice hasn't been here whenever we've decorated it in the past and well…"_

 _Jean rested her chin on her hand with a smile as she watched him squirm. "Is this for Alice's own experience, or is this an excuse to spend time with her away from Ballarat's watchful, gossiping eye?"_

" _Jean," Matthew frowned, his cheeks turning steadily pink when she raised an eyebrow at him. "Alright, maybe a bit of both."_

 _Her smile grew fond and she nodded. "Go ahead and pick one out. When it's here, let Alice know she can come decorate it to her liking. See if you can get Geoffrey to come over too, I know he'll like helping her and have a chance to look at our books. I'll… I'll try to help out if I'm not too busy with council business."_

 _Matthew limped over and pressed a friendly kiss to her cheek, "Thank you, Jean."_

She still wasn't as cheerful as she usually was approaching Christmas, but Jean smiled as she watched Alice hand young Geoffrey Roper different ornaments to hang on the dark green boughs. Her friend was brighter and giddier than she'd seen for some time (and usually that was only around new scientific research or a unexpected breakthrough in a case), and it left a warm feeling in Jean's chest.

"You missed a spot," Matthew pointed out from the couch, just like he always did every year.

"Very funny, Matthew," Alice shot over her shoulder. "The tree's only partially filled."

"Have you decorated a tree before, Dr. Harvey?" Peter asked, stringing the lights in and out of the tree from the top down (he was the only one tall enough to reach all of it).

"Not since university," Alice replied cheerfully. "We used test tubes, lab papers, and specimen jars to make the ornaments."

"What about the lights?" Geoffrey asked.

Alice smiled at him, "There's a fun chemical reaction that makes different liquids glow if you mix it right."

"Alice, try not to set the tree on fire."

Jean hid a smile behind her hand as Alice glared at Matthew over her shoulder, and she caught the faint "grumpy superintendents who don't know how to have fun" grumble from the pathologist as she returned her attention to the tree - a record of Lucien's favorite carols scratching quietly in the background. Jean looked on with a heavy heart.

It was her first Christmas without Lucien. She'd had them before - they both had lives long before they met - but it wasn't the same as those other Christmases.

It was her first Christmas without Lucien after becoming his wife, after standing at that altar when they'd gone through so much to get there, after reciting those vows "till death do us part".

(What if Jean didn't want to part with him after death? What if she wanted to cling to his memory long after it was deemed appropriate by Ballarat and society as a whole? What else could she do, but cling?)

Everywhere she looked, he was there. In the study, with his books - his pen scratching as he noted something in a patient's file. In the kitchen, where he frequently dipped a finger into whatever she had cooking on the stove - just to see her irritation, that he'd kiss away until she laughed. In the parlor, plucking away on the piano, on the couch as he discussed cases with Matthew, Alice, Charlie, and more. In the studio, where he let the delicate gold leaf rise to the dark ceiling on the warm draft of the fireplace.

She woke these days, not to that glittering ceiling, but to the familiar pink walls of her bedroom upstairs - the one she'd chosen all those years ago because it looked out over the garden. Now, it was the farthest from her marital bedroom without leaving the house.

(And she'd never leave, no, her place was here in this far too empty house.)

Drawing back into the shadows, Jean scrubbed at her eyes, trying to will the tears back. It was two weeks before Christmas, but Jean's heart wasn't in it. She'd have to try, for Matthew, for Alice, for all her friends and family - who understood her feelings, who had gathered around her when Lucien went missing almost a year ago. She was able to pick up the pieces because of them, so she'd have to try, for them, for Lucien's memory.

Clapping broke through her ruminations and she looked up to see Peter and Geoffrey applauding a bashful Alice, the newly decorated tree - a bit different from other years, but uniquely Alice - lit behind her. As Peter and Geoffrey trooped into the kitchen looking for a treat, Matthew stood and lightly squeezed Alice's shoulder. He said something to her too low for Jean to make it out, but it made Alice smile and put her hand on top of his; Jean sensed something shift between them.

Jean smiled; sometimes life didn't turn out like expected, but at least she wasn't alone.

* * *

Charlie and Amy bustled around the kitchen behind her as Jean sought out Alice on Christmas Eve. The house was full again, the atmosphere bright (if a little subdued), but they'd all gathered at Jean's house like the years before.

Alice had her nose deep in a book and Jean loathed to drag her friend from a good story, but she had something to give the pathologist turned police surgeon.

"Alice?"

Jean smiled as Alice blinked and looked up with a slight frown - Alice still wasn't good with people, or interruptions, but she was improving.

Alice's face brightened when she saw who'd pulled her out of the book. "Jean! What can I do for you?"

"I wanted to ask you something, do you mind…?" Jean gestured to the dining room behind them, empty for the moment.

"Certainly," Alice put the book to the side and followed her into the other room.

"I… I want to ask you something, and to give you something. You don't have to accept if you're not comfortable with it."

"Jean, please just ask," Alice briefly touched her elbow and it grounded Jean.

She smiled and nodded, "Right… I… Matthew mentioned your lease was up soon and… well, how would you feel about moving in here? I know that… things are, well, a bit tense between you and Matthew, so I didn't want to assume."

Alice looked at her with wide eyes and she opened her mouth to speak several times (Jean could almost see the gears grinding to a halt in Alice's mind and she bit back a fond smile.)

"I… I don't know what to say, Jean. Your offer is very generous…"

"But?"

"But… wouldn't it just feed the gossip? They already say nasty things about me getting Lucien's job as police surgeon when they think I can't hear, and about me and Matthew… wouldn't that just add to it?"

Jean nodded, "It would, you are right in that, Alice. But, if I may?" At Alice's nod, she continued. "There comes a time that you have to shut out those voices, Alice. You earned the police surgeon role, you've earned your status as a doctor, and your case closure rate speaks for itself. Don't let others determine _your_ happiness."

Alice bit her lower lip and Jean couldn't help but reach out and squeeze the pathologist's hand.

"Move in here, or don't, I won't be upset at all. It's just… the house is so empty these days and I miss having other people to come home to, Alice. You could use Lucien's study to put your books in, and for work; you could come home and discuss the cases with me and Matthew over dinner like we used to. And you and Matthew could… spend time together in the safety of this house, away from the eyes and the whispers."

Her friend was silent for such a long time, that Jean grew worried she'd overstepped a mark - an unseen line in their friendship drawn long ago.

"He had such a large presence, didn't he?" Alice nearly whispered, tears gathering in her eyes. "He brought out the best, and worst, in everyone."

Jean gave her a watery smile, "He did."

"He left very big shoes to fill."

"You've more than filled them in your own way. You've taken the position and made it yours, Alice. To hell what other people say."

Alice laughed and wiped away her tears. "You've filled them too, Jean. I couldn't do this without you, or Matthew, supporting me every step."

Jean pulled her in for a hug, "You'll always have it. Always."

"Then… yes, I'll move in when my lease is up, Jean. We're all we've got, after all."

"Good."

Jean drew back from the hug and handed Alice a small gift wrapped box topped with a large green bow.

Alice gently pulled apart the paper and she smiled when she unboxed a set of keys. "How did you know I'd say yes?"

"I didn't, but I'm glad you did."

Alice laughed and hugged Jean again. "Merry Christmas, Jean."

"Merry Christmas, Alice."


	5. A Merry Little Christmas - 1964

**_Christmas 1964_**

* * *

 _Here we are as in olden days / Happy golden days of yore / Faithful friends who are dear to us / Gather near to us once more_

* * *

Jean looked over her shoulder and smiled as Constable Crowe pulled a protesting - but laughing - Alice to her feet and showed her some new dance moves in the parlor while the record player blasted in the background. Jean herself felt like she could dance whenever she walked.

Lucien was home.

He'd returned, quite suddenly, turning up on the doorstep before dinner two weeks ago. Tears were shed by all; Lucien was pulled into the warmth of his family home, and since then, Jean felt like she hadn't touched the ground. Her cheeks ached from smiling so much, but she felt lighter than she had in a long time.

Lucien was _home_.

"Need any help, Mrs. Blake?" Doctor Elijah MacRae popped his head in from the parlor and Jean nodded at Mattie's husband.

The tall, quiet man crossed the kitchen in a few strides and took a spare apron from her with a soft smile.

"Just cut that fruit there for dessert, then you can move on to the veg for tonight."

"Right away, Mrs. Blake."

"Call me Jean, Dr. MacRae; you married our Mattie, that means you're practically family."

"Eli, then, please."

"Eli," Jean nodded.

Eli proved very capable in the kitchen, at least when it came to dessert and cutting up vegetables. She smiled at the memory of his very tight hug when they first met ("You're the one behind all the delicious recipes Mattie uses, thank you!"). It was obvious he loved Mattie dearly, and their small girl was a delight to have underfoot.

It had been a surprise to see Mattie again, married, a mother with another on the way, but Jean was happy to have her back home for the holidays. Little Alice Jean was a surprise as well - both her and Alice deeply touched that Mattie had named her daughter after both of them.

"How are you finding Australia, Eli?"

"It's odd to have a warm December," he laughed - his voice deep and warm. "I'm so used to the cold this time of year."

"Have you always lived in London?"

Eli nodded, "I was born there, my own aunt delivered me at home. Other than boarding school up in Scotland, and to Oxford for university, I've always been in London."

"Lucien took me there on our honeymoon, I think that was before you met Mattie, though."

He smiled, "She mentioned that visit frequently after we met, and talks of you so often, I feel like I've always known you and Australia."

"Good."

"Actually," Eli looked over his shoulder and leaned in, "I'll share a bit of a secret with you. I'm looking to start a clinic, here in Australia. Right here in Ballarat if I can swing it, and Mattie and I will move back here."

"You'd pack up everything and move, just like that?"

He nodded, "Mattie's so much happier here and it feels right to move. My parents are going to help with the finances; so this trip serves a double purpose of visiting you here in Ballarat and to scope out potential places for the clinic."

"I'm happy for you, then. We've missed Mattie dearly."

Eli straightened with a smile. "She's missed you too, and now Allie-Jean gets to grow up with the wonderful support system Mattie had here in Ballarat."

"We were going to _wait_ and tell _everyone_ at dinner, Elijah Gregory MacRae," Mattie's voice interrupted them. Her arms stole around his waist from behind and he turned with a laugh. His wife held up a tiny sprig of mistletoe above her head and Eli obliged her with a sweet kiss. "You can't keep a secret to save your life."

"It's true," Eli told Jean. "I couldn't even keep the proposal from her, I was too excited to ask."

"Sounds like someone else I know," Jean laughed as Mattie held the mistletoe above her head and kissed Jean on the cheek. "You'd better put that back, Mattie."

"I will, I just wanted to kiss my dear husband and you. This will go right back to above the doorway of the kitchen. There's another hanging in the archway of the parlor. And another over the studio door. Lucien wants to kiss you under the mistletoe a lot."

"That man… I think he's still trying to get Alice and Matthew together after all these years." Jean cupped Mattie's face with a fond smile, "I'm so glad you're here, Mattie. Merry Christmas."

"Merry Christmas, Jean," Mattie hugged her tightly.

* * *

Matthew entered the Blake house with a sigh. It had been a long day, but now it was time to celebrate the holidays and to celebrate Lucien's return. The house was packed full with friends and family, but after the quiet of the house in the year before, Matthew welcomed the noise.

Feet - stomping in that "just learned to walk" way - plowed down the hallway towards him.

"Matts! Matts!"

"Hey, you!" He grinned as the red headed toddler attached herself to his good leg.

Alice Jean MacRae - known to all as "Allie-Jean" - grinned back up at him. She hugged him around the leg and Matthew smiled as her mother rounded the corner.

"Allie-Jean," Mattie, now Mrs. Matilda MacRae, sighed with her hands on her hips. "What am I going to do with you?"

"Love," Allie-Jean replied simply and Matthew had to laugh.

"Oh you," Mattie reached for her daughter and the toddler willingly went into her mother's arms.

"I still can't get over the fact she's your clone, Mattie," Matthew shook his head as he hung up his policeman coat and hat by the door.

"Except for the eyes," Mattie smiled. "She's got her father's big, beautiful brown eyes and knows _exactly_ how to use them."

"Love!" Allie-Jean agreed, her bright red hair tied back with the ribbons Jean gave her that morning.

"Yes, darling, we love you. Now, let's go back to the others."

"Matts?" The girl asked her mum, looking between her and Matthew.

"I'll be there in a bit, Allie-Jean, I just have to change first."

She seemed satisfied with that answer, "Okay."

Matthew quickly changed and joined the cacophony in the parlor. He watched with a smile as his constable danced with Alice - who only stumbled a little through the new dance - and Rose, Charlie, and Bill debating in the corner. Geoffrey was off to the side, nose in a book, but he'd look up every so often to watch the antics around him. Mattie entertained her daughter on the couch next to Lucien (who's stamina was still recovering from the near year long coma he'd been in, but his old friend beamed at everyone around them).

He clapped a gentle hand on Lucien's shoulder, "Glad you made it, mate."

Lucien looked up with a grin, "You know me, Matthew, I'm on my own time table, but I don't like to miss the important days. The tree looks good, though I'm wondering why all our ornaments were replaced with test tubes and specimen jars."

"Alice's doing, at Geoffrey's insistence. She told him last year that's what they did at the university, and he wanted to see it in action."

Lucien laughed richly, "She's good with him. _You're_ good with him."

"Both of us know what it's like to have… not so great parents."

Lucien patted Matthew's hand and said nothing. Matthew squeezed his shoulder and both of them watched their friends enjoy the holiday.

"Did you and Alice…?"

"What?"

Lucien smiled, "Did the two of you ever decide to date officially? I know you were spending an awful lot of time with her before I left for Sydney."

Matthew felt his cheeks grow warm. "Nah, after you disappeared, I offered the police surgeon role to her… we stopped spending time together outside of work." At Lucien's confused look, he elaborated. "People were… well you know what Ballarat is like to those outside the norm. They were… nasty, still kind of are now that she's moved in here."

"Well, now that I'm back, maybe they'll focus on me again," Lucien grinned.

"Maybe, I'll let Alice decide if we date or not. She's… well, she's worth waiting."

"You've got it bad, Matthew."

He huffed, "Like you weren't mooning over Jean for awhile before you got married."

Lucien laughed. "Merry Christmas, Matthew."

"Merry Christmas, Lucien. I'm glad you're back."

* * *

Alice slipped out of the parlor to take a break from the noise and the people. They were close friends and loved ones, but sometimes it was all a bit much.

"Oh! I'm sorry," Alice smiled as she bumped into Matthew in the doorway. "I should look where I'm going."

He steadied her with a smile, "It's alright, Alice. I wasn't paying attention either."

She ducked her head, feeling her cheeks grow warmer the longer they stood there together. They'd continued to dance around each other ever since she moved into 7 Mycroft Avenue after New Year's; they spent more time together, quiet evenings after dinner, long talks with Jean into the night over cases, or just sitting on the couch together reading their respective novels. She enjoyed it, and yet hated the distance still between them even after seeing more personal snippets of each other when they weren't working (sleepy shuffles in the morning around the bathroom in their pajamas, the cold silence of the house after a particularly hard case, quiet, shaking confessions over whiskey that burned their throats). There was still a line between them that Alice wouldn't wipe away, and Matthew wouldn't cross without her permission.

Matthew shifted beside her and she felt the barest hint of a kiss against her cheek. Looking up in surprise, Alice saw Matthew smile and point upwards.

"Mistletoe."

"Oh…" She looked up at the sprig of greenery with a fond look. He'd remembered their ongoing tradition, starting back before the Blakes were married. It had been unexpected at the time and now it was something she looked forward to as the weather warmed each year.

(They'd nixed doing it last year when Lucien was gone - unanimously decided by all who came to bring a bit of love back into the Blake household during the holidays that it would be too much of a reminder.)

His smile widened and Alice couldn't help but return it. Lucien's return had rejuvenated all of them, jump starting their lackluster holiday spirit in the weeks leading up to the now annual Blake Christmas Eve Dinner. Jean's beaming joy could lift even the biggest holiday Scrooge's spirits, and it was infectious.

Perhaps that was the reason behind her next action.

Alice stepped forward and pressed a kiss, an actual kiss, to Matthew's still smiling lips - her hand sliding around the back of his neck as she finally, _finally_ threw her reservations to the side about what people would say of the two of them and _took_ what she wanted.

She was done letting the thoughts of other people dictate her happiness.

Matthew drew back with a concerned frown, "Alice-"

"I'm sure, Matthew." She pressed another quick kiss to his mouth and wrapped her arms around his shoulders. "I'm sorry it took me so long."

He rested his forehead against hers, his arms stealing around her waist, "Don't be."

"I don't want to wait anymore."

"I don't either." Matthew leaned in and captured her lips in a kiss. She sighed into it, parting her lips to the tentative touch of his tongue. Heat flooded her body as she felt him press her up against the wall near the mistletoe; Alice lost herself in the kisses from Matthew, her world shrinking to just the two of them in the shadowed hallway.

"Oh, _finally_!"

Alice laughed as Matthew glared at Lucien - who'd stumbled across them in the hallway. The whole look was ruined by her lipstick smeared across his lips.

"I see you two finally got your act together thanks to the mistletoe," Lucien grinned.

" _Lucien_ ," Matthew practically growled. He softened when Alice pressed a kiss to his cheek.

"Yes, Lucien, it was entirely the mistletoe," she told him, her voice dripping with sarcasm.

Her friend just grinned and turned back to the parlor. "I came to find the two of you because Jean said dinner was almost ready, but what you were doing seems like much more fun."

"Thank you, Lucien!" Alice called to him as he left. She played with the short hair at the nape of Matthew's neck until he relented his glaring at Lucien's back and paid attention to her.

Her breath hitched in her throat at the soft look in his eyes as they wandered over her face. She could _feel_ his gaze and shivered in his arms.

"Cold?" He asked her softly, a mischievous glint in his eyes.

Alice bit her lower lip and raised an eyebrow, "What would you do if I said yes, Superintendent Lawson?"

That got her a chuckle and a boyish grin. He leaned down until his lips brushed against hers as he spoke, "I have a few ideas on how to warm you up, Dr. Harvey."

She clung to his shoulders as he kissed her again, his hands warm and heavy through her dress as they splayed across her back. Alice nipped lightly at his bottom lip and smiled when he reciprocated and soothed it with his tongue.

"Jesus, Matthew, let her up for air!"

" _Lucien, leave them alone!_ " Jean's voice rang out from the kitchen.

Neither of them paid their friends any heed as they slowly parted. Matthew leaned his forehead against hers and lightly nuzzled her nose. She giggled; her heart light and warm as happiness fizzed through her veins like tiny bubbles of champagne.

"Merry Christmas, Alice." He whispered as he pressed a kiss to her cheek.

She smiled and pulled him down for another kiss, "Merry Christmas, Matthew."

He stepped back and laughed softly when she wiped away the lipstick on his mouth.

"I don't think that's quite your color."

"Mm, no, I much prefer it on you."

Alice felt her cheeks grow warm and she ducked her head, "I'm… I'm just going to go touch it up."

Matthew pressed another kiss to her cheek, "I'll be here to escort you to dinner."

She smiled and squeezed his hand as she slipped past him and up the stairs to her room. Stopping short at the sight of herself in her vanity mirror, Alice smiled. Her hair was mussed, her lipstick all but gone, and her cheeks still carried the flush that Matthew's kisses brought to her freckled skin. She couldn't stop smiling as she reapplied her lipstick, catching herself humming _Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas_ to herself. Closing the lipstick tube with a satisfying 'click!', Alice ran a brush through her hair as Jean's call to dinner rang out through the house.

Hurrying back down the stairs, Alice beamed when she saw Matthew waiting there at the bottom. He returned the smile and laced his fingers in hers as she reached him. Alice could have sworn her heart skipped a beat, the bubbles of champagne returned and left her positively giddy as they walked - hand in hand - into the dining room.

Happiness and family, it was all Alice ever wanted, and with this Christmas she finally got it.

* * *

"It's time to cut the roast," Jean announced and looked expectantly at Lucien.

He held up his hands with a smile, "I'm afraid I'm still not quite up to the task, my darling. Who did it last year? Matthew?"

His friend shook his head and pointed to Alice sitting next to him.

"Really?"

"It's no different than an autopsy, Lucien," Alice shrugged. A grin spread across her face when the table laughed.

"True, though I'd rather not have that particular meat. If Alice did it last year, I don't see why she can't do it again this year."

His wife just smiled fondly at him and handed Alice the meat fork.

Alice stood, "I'm going to need- Ah! Thank you!"

She smiled as Jean handed over the bone saw - _his_ bone saw and Lucien had to laugh.

"Things never change here, do they?"

"Not when it comes to cutting a roast, no, my love." Jean pressed a kiss to his cheek as she and Alice divied up the meat around the table. Conversation passed easily between all of them; stories were shared, laughter frequent, and smiles abound as they tucked into the delicious feast before them.

Lucien watched them all and soaked it all in. He'd missed this, the hospital he'd woken up in had been far too quiet, too impersonal. He'd missed so much in the past year and a half, but he looked forward to getting to know the changes in those he loved. Jean's hand was warm in his as dessert was rolled out for all to enjoy, and she stayed by his side as they trooped out of the dining room and back into the parlor.

Young Geoffrey Roper - a pleasant young man that Matthew and Alice had taken under their wing - grabbed Alice's hand and pulled her towards the couch.

"You promised," he told her when she looked at him with confusion. "You promised you'd read a story."

"Alright, alright," Alice laughed (Lucien never would have pegged her for someone to be comfortable around children).

"Go pick a story out for all of us to enjoy, Geoffrey," Matthew piped up as he stood from the table.

Alice and Geoffrey knelt by the bookshelf, whispering to each other as they searched the shelves for the perfect Christmas story, while everyone else settled in and around the parlor with light conversation.

Lucien leaned up against the archway of the parlor leading into the kitchen and Jean settled against his side. Wrapping his arms around her, he pressed a kiss to the side of her head - smiling when she let out a happy little hum.

"I see Alice has been working on her dramatic reading," he mused as Alice settled on the couch (Matthew to her left, his arm sneaking across the back of her shoulders; Geoffrey to her right, leaning against her side as he followed along in the book).

"She's really come into her own," Jean agreed. "Geoffrey absolutely adores her and Matthew, they treat him like a small adult and let him ask all the questions he ever wants."

"I never would have thought they'd be the one to mentor a child," Lucien pressed another kiss to the side of her head.

"I think it surprised them just as much as it did you."

She wrapped her arms around his middle as Alice read aloud the condensed version of Dickens' _A Christmas Carol_ to their friends and family. Jean leaned up and kissed him. When he looked at her in surprise, she smiled. "Mistletoe."

"Goodness me," He looked up at the sprig hanging above their heads - like it always had been in years past.

Jean grinned, "Merry Christmas, my love."

"Merry Christmas."

Lucien looked around at all those gathered while Alice read; Charlie, Rose, Danny, Mattie, and Bill were all familiar faces. He looked to the new: Amy, Peter, Mattie's husband Elijah, her daughter Allie-Jean, and Geoffrey Roper. All were scattered around the parlor, listening intently to his dear friend, and Lucien had to smile. What an eclectic bunch they were, and he wouldn't have it any other way. He held Jean - his wife, his beloved, his light - tight in his arms and sighed in contentment.

He was home.


End file.
